Unregulated drugs have claimed 20 lives in Coquitlam through nine months of 2024.
New data from the BC Coroners Service shows the city is close to matching last year's death count of 25 following the provincial entity's latest update from August and September.
As of the end of August, the Tri-Cities has lost 31 lives to illicit drugs, equalling at least 11 more deaths in Port Coquitlam, Port Moody, Anmore and Belcarra.
The region, as a whole, recorded 47 drug overdose deaths in 2023.
This is the seventh time that 30 Tri-City residents or more have succumbed to the effects of unregulated drugs in a single year since 2016 when B.C. declared a public health emergency.
Provincially, the BC Coroners Service said 187 lives were lost in August and 183 in September, bringing the year-to-date total to 1,749.
August's numbers equate to six deaths per day, while September saw an average of 6.1.
"Although the rate of toxic-drug deaths this year continues to decrease compared to the past three years, the rate of toxic-drug deaths and the impact of toxic drugs circulating in B.C. communities remains unacceptable," B.C.'s ministry of mental health and addictions stated in a release.
"There is more work needed to save lives and connect more people to treatment services. The Ministry of Mental Health and Addictions is working with all partners to build a better, healthier province for everyone."
Regionally, the BC Coroners Service has counted 128 toxic drug deaths in Fraser North as of the end of September. This includes the Tri-Cities, Burnaby, New Westminster, Pitt Meadows and Maple Ridge.
The townships with the highest number of unregulated deaths in 2024 thus far are Vancouver (385), Surrey (178) and Greater Victoria (128).
With a file from Jess Balzer, Burnaby NOW
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